The historyof Salt therapy goes back to the ancient times. According to ancient legends, the monks placed
patients in the salt caves, with the air full of salt dust. During the World War 2 many people with chronic
respiratory diseases reported significant improvement of health after being in salt mines used as the bomb shelters.

In the 19th century Polish doctor Felix Boczkowski noticed that pulmonary diseases are practicallyabsent among the miners of the salt mines. In 1843 he published a book “About the mine in terms of science, history and wellness” (O Wieliczce pod względem historyi naturalnej, dziejów i kąpieli). This could be considered as a first scientific publication about the salt therapy.

Here is a quote from the book:

"...Moreover, for these types of ailments, even more effective than the salt baths themselves are frequent and prolonged visits to the salt mines. This phenomenon is directly related to the microclimate of the mines, where the air is saturated with fine salt particles and salt dust. This salt residue has an extremely positive effect on weak and sickened lungs, which is clearly noticeable in the miners who despite their lung afflictions and extremely hard work live to a very old age. They display quite an improvement in their physical disposition once they find themselves at the bottom of the mine after a long, strenuous descent down the mine shaft..."

Many speleoclinics were opened and exist till now all over the Europe.

On the left a salt sanatorium Wieliczka, on the right the oldest underground salt clinic in Europe Bochnia,

can take 256 visitors simultaneously, 300 meters under the ground level.